Process of separating sugar from residual molasses



Patented 0a. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT- orrlcs.

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T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cumsrorm G. Looms, a citizen of the United States, residing-at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Separating Sugar from Residual Molasses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates.to a process of. separating sugar in crystallized form from the various organic and inorganic impurities contained inany liquors or dry substance containing sugar, and particularly from the 5 discard molasses from the Stefi'en process.

by a special apparatus consisting of a steel belt conveyor which is heated up to 160 0.,

and cooled artificially, rendering the dried molasses very friable and pulverulent. The

' dried molasses so obtained is pulverized and 0 treated with concentrated acetic acid of 99 per cent to 99% per cent. Inpractice, the amount of acid used varies from 150 to 200 per cent of the weight'ofthe dried molasses. The temperature iskept between 15 and 30 C. The time of the complete precipitation of the sugar in crystal form is from 2 to 24 hours, but the average time required is six hours.

. By means of this process, the amount of sugar precipitated in the form of crystals is 900 to 1,040 pounds per ton of molasses.

The purity of the precipitate sugar amounts to from 94 to 99 per cent or more. V

The mixing of the powdered molasses and concentrated. acetic acid is accomplished by a special mixer, which is provided with a feeder-regulator and mixing device apparatus and the entire apparatus is. working Application ma December as, 1924. Serial 10.758557.

under vacuum. After the of the dry molasses and concentrated acetic acid is com-' pleted, the mixture is transferred by gravity into an ordinary sugar house crystallizer with the difference that it is working ,under 'vacuum system where it remains about six hours to complete the crystallization of the sugar. The mass from this crystallizer is droppedv into a Special vacuum filter, where the sugar'is' freed from the mother liquor,

The small amount of mother -liquor.sur-.

rounding the sugar crystal is eliminated by Washing the sugar with toluel, or benzene,

or alcohol, or any other solvent, which is soluble in acetic acid, but cannot dissolve the sugar. The obtained. sugar is dried under vacuum and at the same time, the solvent is evaporated and recovered-and can be usedindefinitely over again. The sugar thus ob-' tained is remelted with the addition of a 4 little milk of lime, filtered, and' boiled to mother liquor is mixed with from 1 to 2 per cent of sulfuric acid, and distilled. The acid carbonizes the organic materials, leaving the acetic acid in a pure state. The acetic acid 1s collected in a pure and concentrated c0ndition and is ready to be used over' again.

The loss of acid by this distillation recovery amounts to not more than 2 per cent. In

the distilling apparatus there remains an organic carbon from which, by lixiviation, I

maining carbon can be used for filtering purposes.

While I have described in detail the preferred practice of my process, it is to be understood that the details of procedure may be widely varied without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

'1. The process of separating sugar from molasses which comprises treating dried residual molasses with concentrated acetic acid to precipitate the sugar, separating the precigitated sugar from the residue containe alcohol. 4

' 2. The process of separating sugar from molasses which comprises treating dried residual molasses from the Stefienprocess obtain the potassium as sulfate, and the retherein, and washing the sugar with grain, thus producing refined sugar. The 75 with concentrated acetic acid to precipitate the sugar, separating the precipitated sugar from the residue contained therein, and washing the sugar with alcohol.

3. The process of separating sugar from molasses which comprises treating dried residual molasses with from 150 to 200 per cent by weight of concentrated acetic acid to precipitate the sugar, separating the p1'ecipitated sugar fromthe residue contained therein, and washing the sugar with alcohol.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signa- 

